MAJOR work to restore Heytesbury’s church to its former glory will start soon after it was awarded a £100,000 grant.

Grants of between £10,000 and £100,000 have been awarded to a total of 12 churches in Dorset and Wiltshire under the Worship Roof Repair Fund for major repairs to roofs, gutters and drains.

Of the 12 churches to receive funding, St Peter and St Paul in Heytesbury received the highest amount, with second placed St Peter’s in Stourton getting £74,500.

Reverend Alison Morley, Team Rector for the Upper Wylye Valley Team, which includes Heytesbury Church, said: “I am delighted that the Listed Places of Worship Roof Repair Fund has granted its highest permitted figure in recognition of the need for these works, the importance of the building, the hard work by volunteers in moving the project forward, and the wonderful vision of the building as a new community heart for Heytesbury.”

The total cost of the work to the church will be £165,337, with the remaining £65,337 being raised by local people.

It will cover professional fees as well as large-scale work including re-slating over the nave, the addition of new gutters and water pipes and conservation of stonework.

The fund, administered by the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, was announced by George Osborne in the 2014 Autumn Statement and has seen the treasury allocate over £55 million to the scheme.

Churchwarden Christine Sitwell said: “I am thrilled that we have received such a generous grant from the Listed Places of Worship Roof Repair Fund.

"It not only recognises the importance of Heytesbury Church but also the enormous effort made by numerous people involved in fundraising and preparing the grant application.

“This is a wonderful beginning as the grant will cover a large part of the entire work needed to make all of the roof sound and enable us to proceed with our ultimate dream of making the church a vibrant space for worship and community activities.”

Architects and planners will now assess the job and work is expected to begin in the spring of next year.

This fund is also part of the Heytesbury Open Place (HOP) project, which will include the provision of a small kitchen, toilet and meeting space with the aim of making the church a hub for local people in the community.

The church was rescued and extensively restored between 1864-1867 under the supervision of William Butterfield, who was employed to oversee the work.